Frank confident of leading Spurs revival after giving Brentford example saying ‘I am convinced we will see a similar pattern here’.
Thomas Frank convinced he can repeat Brentford trick with Tottenham revival.
Thomas Frank is certain that Tottenham will follow in the footsteps of his former teams, with unimpressive beginnings giving way to steady success and results.
The manager, aware that losing might turn into a habit, brings his club to Crystal Palace on Sunday in need of a pick-me-up after losing six of the previous ten Premier League games and winning just twice.
Since his summer appointment, Frank has had a mixed bag of concerns, the most significant of which being his players’ ability to manage the extra demands of midweek Champions League games. Spurs will advance to the competition’s knockout stages, but it has been possible to view their involvement as a poisoned chalice.
Does the team have enough quality or perseverance when things become hard? After losing 3-0 to Nottingham Forest in their most recent European midweek match, Frank’s team was criticised for their response to falling behind.
Frank is well aware of the magnitude of the task, but he is strengthened when he recalls how he led improvement at Brøndby, where he started as a club manager in 2013, and Brentford, where he assumed leadership in 2018.
“At Brøndby, I didn’t win the first eight games and then we were unbeaten in nine,” he said. “At Brentford, we lost eight out of 10 games and then we were unbeaten in 10. So I am convinced we will see a similar pattern here. I’m not in doubt of that. Because I know how to make a competitive team. We will make a very competitive team here, as well.
“What makes it even more complex here is the amount of games we are playing … with rotations, and physical load and mental load that just impact a team and especially if it’s not used to do that.”
Frank, who has made it his mission to instil greater resilience, was asked whether losing can become a habit. “I definitely think there are habits that can go both ways,” he replied. “There are good habits and bad habits and, of course, winning is a good habit and losing is a bad habit.
“But underneath that are the habits of every staff member, every player. How do you react when there are setbacks in games? That is something we are really working very, very hard on. There are bits that are going the right way [in this area] but we are not consistent enough to do that every third or fourth day.
“It’s small bits and good habits for a player. You want a player to do recovery runs 10 out of 10 times and he does it five out of 10 times. He won’t do it like this [Frank clicks his fingers] and then he’s doing it 10 out of 10 times. It will maybe be five and a half, six, six and a half, seven. That’s how it works.”